


"You think so?"

by Chibimun



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fix-It, Love Confessions, M/M, or at least to me its a fix-it, since the light fantastics ending kneed me in the soul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 12:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18249806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibimun/pseuds/Chibimun
Summary: Twoflower says he's leaving. Lots of things happen after that, probably in a different way then you remember them.





	"You think so?"

**Author's Note:**

> the incel wizzard and the chad tourist are in love: a novel of discworld

Rincewind was incapable. He knew this. Everybody knew this within five minutes of meeting him.

Except Twoflower, who, somehow, didn't seem to get that.

It wasn't that Twoflower thought he could do anything and everything, but that he thought Rincewind could do anything at _all._ That was more than the entirety of Unseen University, hell, all of Ankh-Morpork had ever thought. Twoflower had cheered him on the whole way, even if he hadn't done the best job. They really saved the world, huh?

Yeah, whatever. It was more like Twoflower, with his chaotic optimism and nigh-latent, inspiring smugness had piloted his skinny body in the right direction (which often first included taking many steps in the wrong ones). Though, despite all the nitty-gritty, they truly were heroes.

Which is why he was so shocked when Twoflower said he was leaving.

Rincewind had almost forgot that the man had been a tourist. The time he'd spent with the other man felt like it had lasted _years,_ far longer (and far deadlier) than any simple vacation. They felt like the most substantial moments of his life, no matter how irritating and painful and _terrifying_ the adventure had been.

He zoned out, recalling a snippet of conversation. "I'm a coward." He'd muttered to Twoflower, less of a pout and more of an annoyed acknowledgement.

Twoflower's response had stuck with him. "You think so?"

Of course, he had replied with "yes", short and sweet, but the inquisitive tone in the other man's voice hadn't left his head for a long while. Which was astounding, as he also remembered them both being at least slightly intoxicated.

"Why do you think you're a coward, Rincewind?" Twoflower tapped his picture-box thing, which was currently dangling around hid neck.

"Because I'm always running away.."

"Always?"

He groaned. _"Always. "_

Twoflower hummed. It was this odd, uncoordinated, melodious noise. "I don't think you're a coward. I think you're just..." He paused, screwing up his face. "...anxious! There's the word."

"That's what makes me a coward, idiot." He retorted, much harsher than he'd intended to.

"I'm the idiot, huh? Listen, I just think you need a little push sometimes. Everyone does."

That had been a while back. Though, with his scale of time, saying "Even Rincewind couldn't remember when" wouldn't mean much. Though, he still couldn't place exactly when it had happened.

_"You think so?"_

He stared through Twoflower, the dock feeling like it could collapse at any moment under his feet. Or maybe his legs were what was shaking.

_"You think so?"_

He wanted so badly to run away. He could barely tell where he was supposed to be anymore, the panic swallowing any semblance of rational thought and replacing it with the urge to _go! Go! And never look back!_

But he didn't.

_"You think so?"_

"Rincewind?" Twoflower laid a hand on his shoulder, and he nearly screamed. "Are you okay?"

He made a noise, and then barely choked out a "no".

"You're braver than you think, you know that, Rincewind?"

"Stop--" His face was redder than his cloak. "Stop _saying_ stuff like that!"

"You need to hear it." Twoflower placed his other hand up to match the first, staring into Rincewind's eyes.

He shut them as hard as he could, crossing his arms as he slightly curled into himself "Whatever! Just go home! Get out of here, and never come back!"

Twoflower's grip faltered.

"Go home, Twoflower." Rincewind kept his eyes closed, a fake serene look plastered onto his face. "I don't need to hear anything from you. Just leave."

"Rincewind..." He let go of him, taking a few steps back. Rincewind could've sworn he heard the _whoosh_ of the sails, the chipper "okay, bye Rincewind!" from the deck of a golden boat from the Counterweight Continent whisked the most _annoying_ part of his life far, far away.

But then he felt a squeeze, and opened his eyes.

Twoflower had his arms wrapped around him, tight as a vice. His head was buried into Rincewind's chest, or at least it was buried there the best it could be, with his arms in the way. Rincewind gaped, eyes wide and legs about to fail.

"You're a silly wizard, Rincewind." The muffled voice was either laughing, crying, or both. Rincewind had already beaten him to the second one, though. "Did you think I'd just stop at "I'm leaving"?"

"Part of me hoped." But his voice was cracking, and his words were more than hollow. "You're the worst thing that's ever happened to me. I want you to get out of my life, so I can stop thinking about you."

Twoflower separated himself, staring right at Rincewind through his rose-tinted second set of eyes.

Right _at_ him.

Rincewind blinked, blushing.

"I love you." Twoflower smiled at him. "Rincewind, would you like to come home with me?"

It was like his brain has spiraled off the freeway into a nearby cornfield. Rincewind stood there, frozen and sweating before yanking the brim of his hat down over his face.

"R-Rincewind?" Twoflower yelped. "What's wrong?"

Rincewind didn't have it in him at the moment to speak, but judging by the death grip on his hat, the full-body tremors on the level of a small, terrified animal, and the drips on his robe, it was easily deduced he was sobbing.

"I'm sorry, I thought you—oh, was that too fast?" Twoflower frowned, a bit of his usual spark seeming to fizz out. "You don't have to come with me, there's a boat coming soon I can catch-"

"No!" Rincewind blurted out, still covering his face. "No, no, you don't—you don't n-need to—It's alright if you-"

"Rincewind, don't feel pressured to go with me. I'm sorry I upset you, you can stay here." Twoflower weakly laid his hand on his shoulder again.

"I'm..." His grip on his hat faltered for a second, and then he returned it to its proper resting place, rubbing his face on his sleeve. "Well, I'm not upset. Not in the way that you probably think I am, at least."

Twoflower stayed quiet as Rincewind fumbled for the other man's hand, pushing it off his shoulder and holding it in his own, trembling. He stuttered for a second again, contemplating what to say. What _could_ he say right now? Twoflower had just said he loved him.

"I, um-"

Twoflower _loved_ him?

"Could...could I..."

Did he even know enough about Rincewind to love him?

"I...do I—oh..."

When did he decide that out of all the people in the world, all the people he'd met, that he'd bring home somebody like _him?_

"You...I..."

Couldn't someone as brash and optimistic and annoying find some luck with somebody less...Rincewind?

_ "You think so?" _

Why was his hand so _warm?_  


"I—I love you too!" He suddenly shouted, holding Twoflower's hand tightly in both of his, leaning in closer to him. "I think you're, I, I think-"

Twoflower's face lit up, warm and glowing and so damn _beautiful_ in the light of the sunset, and Rincewind could barely prepare himself for Twoflower to tug his hand away and _lift_ Rincewind, who clung to him like a very stupid, very lovestruck koala, off the docks as Twoflower spun the two of them around. He was so _warm...!_

Rincewind heard the other man laughing and couldn't help but join in. His life had been a collection of making mistakes and being one, of running away and being mostly alone. For a just a second, none of that mattered. He hadn't even known you could really cry from happiness before now—he hadn't had the chance before. "Put me down!" He laughed, nearly a foreign sound to his own ears. "Put me down, you!"  


"Alright, alright!" Twoflower obliged, Rincewind nearly falling over as they both got their bearings. In a matter of seconds, though, they ended up back in each other's arms again. They were both tired, as the sun nearly ended its journey to the bottom of the sky. There was the sound of a boat pulling into the dock, for real this time, and Twoflower perked up. He gave Rincewind a peck on the cheek as he went to chat with the man who (presumably) would ferry them back to the Counterweight Continent.

His head was buzzing. He idly placed a hand on his cheek, feeling like he could faint.

"Rincewind!" Twoflower half-shouted. "About how many days will you need to get ready? We can leave as soon as tomorrow!"

_ Tomorrow?! _

"Tomorrow is _perfect!"_ He nearly screamed, voice cracking.  


Twoflower laughed from his place on the boat. Rincewind's heart felt lighter than air.

The Moon would later rise over Ankh-Morpork, where two men were both sleeping, curled up together in a single, mildly uncomfortable bed. At the foot of the best, a half-suitcase-half-chest-looking creature quietly snoozed away with them.

And everything was much more than fantastic.


End file.
